Some Changes
by AngelGirl569
Summary: The gang is just starting high school. After a summer apart, the kids are very different. And a surprising loss might just tear them apart. Romance, drama, friendship, and a tiny bit of family stuff.
1. The Limo Stop

When I wake up, I always look at my calendar. I see what day it is, what's going on, upcoming events – that kind of stuff. Tomorrow is September 12, the day I have to go back to school. I've been on summer vacation the last couple months. I can't wait to see the others! Summer passed by s-l-o-w-l-y…only thing that sucks about going back to school (besides homework and all) is that our old 3rd grade teacher, Mr. Ratburn, has been made a teacher at the school! I can't wait till I see the others…

Oh, I'm sorry – you don't know who "the others" are! Well, let me introduce myself first. My name is Arthur Read; I live in Elwood City with my two parents and my annoying younger sisters, DW and Kate. I attend Lakewood High, and I'm in the 9th grade class. My best friends are Buster Baxter and Francine Frensky. We have a lot of other friends too though! There's Sue Ellen, Fern, George, Binky, Muffy, Jenna, Prunella, and Brain (that's his nickname, his real name is Allen).

I've known these guys for a really long time! Prunella has always been a year ahead of us, and Brain is skipping a grade this year, so he and Prunella will be in 10th grade while the rest of us are in 9th grade. Today is really special because not only is it the first day of high school for me, it's also the day I see my friends again!

See, Muffy, whose dad is a billionaire, decided to take Francine, her best friend, on this huge Caribbean cruise for the summer. Buster's parents are divorced, and when his dad invited him to live with him in New York for the summer, he had his bags packed in ten minutes. Brain went off to a two-month long sleep-away science camp, while Prunella went to the neighboring "Camp for Future Psychics!" In case you haven't guessed already, Brain is super smart and Prunella is a little…_obsessed_ with magic and stuff. Jenna, who is shy but athletic, was spotted by a talent scout at the County Fair and has spent the summer modeling for this new, super popular, teen magazine, Top Teen! Fern went to "Poet's Day Camp" and even though it's only a day camp, her hunger for literature has been awakened and if I ever see her, she's either reading or writing something, completely closed off from the world. Binky and George went off to sleep-away camp for the summer, and according to their letters, they're becoming much closer friends! And as for Sue Ellen – well, I haven't seen her since fifth grade because she and her parents decided to travel around Africa, helping people in third world countries. But last June, her parents decided to volunteer at army bases in Pakistan and Iraq. Fearing for her safety, they sent her to live in Paris with a family friend. Now she's coming back to Elwood City for the first time in almost three years!

I've arranged to meet my friends tomorrow morning where Bailey, Muffy's chauffeur, will pick us up in her limo. Wait, I know what you're thinking – are we all super spoiled rich kids who like to rub our wealth in other people's faces? Well, we're not. The only reason we're riding in the is that the high school is further away than the middle school and our parents were actually going to drive us to school on the first day of high school! I mean, if they drive us to school on our first day, we'll be labeled losers within minutes. So instead, we managed to work out a deal where we ride in the limo to go to school until next year. We would ride the school bus, but because Lakewood High is a new school (just built a couple years ago), it doesn't have that many school buses, and by the time our parents signed us up for the bus system, the buses were full, and if we went on, we'd have to sit in the aisles. Should be good though, because the Crosswire's new limo is much roomier and luxurious – it even has a mini bar!

Anyway, I think I'll check my email, make sure everyone's on board. Hey, Francine is on! Think I'll chat with her.

**Francine:** Hey

**Arthur:** Hey

**Francine:** What's up?

**Arthur:** Nothing. You?

**Francine:** Muffy is driving me CRAZY

**Arthur:** What do you mean?

**Francine:** It's hard to explain

**Arthur:** Tell me!

**Francine:** Never mind. You'll see tomorrow

**Arthur:** Uh…ok

**Francine:** Got to go. See you tomorrow

**Arthur:** OK bye

Okay, that was a little weird…oh hey, Buster's on!

**Arthur:** Hey

**Buster:** Hey

**Arthur:** What's up?

**Buster:** A lot

**Arthur:** Like what?

**Buster:** I'll tell you later

**Arthur:** ?

**Buster: **It's hard to explain

**Arthur:** Ok then I won't ask

**Buster:** Thanks man. Hey, I got to go

**Arthur:** Bye

What is up with my friends tonight? So secretive! But I've known them since forever, so I won't pry. I can't wait to see them though! It all happens tomorrow…

Ah, September 12. First day of 9th grade. I have a surprise for my friends – I got contacts over the summer! I have had these huge, dorky, Harry Potter glasses since I was little and I can't wait to see their faces when they see me without glasses.

I wonder if my friends have changed much over the summer. Last year, in 8th grade, a lot changed. For one, Muffy and Buster became a couple. Yeah, it was a big shock for all of us because…well, the best way to sum it up is this: In 3rd grade, Muffy was bringing caviar to school in her lunchbox while Buster was all but inhaling mushy school meatloaf. Yeah. Another change was that George and Binky became friends, even though Binky used to bully George in grade school. Of course, Jenna became a model, but I haven't seen her in months, so I'm wondering how the fashion industry has changed her. Muffy started relaxing more, not being so uptight, while Buster started working harder and actually made the honor roll a few times! Francine really threw herself into sports, which made Muffy get worried about her friend's reputation as a girl and named sweats and football jerseys fashionable. Fern has gotten more confident, even performed at a few coffee houses. Oh look, here comes someone!

"Hey man!" Buster shouted

"Dude!" I called back. We ran as fast as we could into a chest bump that hurts like crazy but we don't care because it's just our thing. "How was New York?"

"Uh…" Buster turned a little red all of a sudden. "It was um, really…fun!"

"Ok then…?" Before I can get him to elaborate, I see Brain, Binky, and George coming. Woah, George really shot up this summer! He used to be so short…and Binky is much slimmer. Meanwhile, I see that the brain has relaxed his style a bit and even has glasses. We all talk for a bit and I soon understand how the camp had a lot of healthy food and a ton of outdoor activities, so when Binky was deprived of junk food and couches for the summer, he lost fifty pounds! Meanwhile, George has apparently been drinking a lot of milk. As for Brain, the camp he went to had an awesome library, but no electricity in the cabins, so he strained his eyes reading by flashlight to the point of glasses. But they're cool glasses, with thin, rectangular lenses. Now why couldn't they have had those styles at the glasses store I went to? Buster hasn't changed much, except that his hair has gotten a bit shaggier and he got his braces off.

"So when do you think the girls will get here?" Binky asked. "Is it true Sue Ellen is coming back?"

"Yeah, it's true" I said, "She's really back."

"God…" George said, staring off into space. He then turned back to the guys, looking a little worried. "We haven't seen her in three years, you know. What if she's changed? What if she's like…different?"

We're all quiet for a minute, remembering how Sue Ellen was when we last saw her in fifth grade.

It was the last day of school. Sue Ellen was leaving for the airport in just a few minutes, and we were all hugging and crying and all that mushy stuff. But through it all, Sue Ellen gave us a huge smile full of slight buck teeth and rainbow braces that clashed with her oversized dress that was really just a huge Woodstock t-shirt from her parents. She wore sneakers with red and white striped laces, and had a henna tattoo tracing its way up her arm, from pinky to collarbone. Her short, poufy, orange-brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her only accessory was a beaded tribal cuff around her wrist that was from Morocco. She was brave, fun, smart, and ready to face whatever life threw at her. They all admired her and knew that no matter what, they would always be friends.

"No." Buster said loudly, interrupting their reminiscing. "No, she isn't changed. She's still the same old Sue Ellen."

"Uh, ok…?" George said confusedly.

Suddenly, Brain and Binky seemed extremely distracted and their eyes were getting huge. The other guys and I followed their eyes and it was all I could do to keep my jaw from dropping. There, coming towards us, were Jenna, Francine, and Fern. Now, before I tell you why we were freaking, you should understand how we remembered these girls. Francine, last time we saw her, would wear baggy shorts or sweats and a T-shirt. Jenna has always been shy and athletic, and could usually be found wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. Fern might wear a skirt, but her parents always make sure she dresses modestly, so her tops were never low-cut, skirts and shorts never below the knee. Francine and Jenna both had short, almost boyish haircuts, and fern usually had a curtain of hair over her face.

But now…well, the basic way to sum up us guys' reactions was that George gave a wolf-whistle under his breath. First up was Francine. Her dark hair was much longer, and curled so she has all these thin curls layered on top of each other. To make her look even more girly, she's wearing layered tank tops, converse, and a denim skirt edged in lace! I mean, lace! A couple bobby pins hold back her hair and she wears the small locket left to her by her grandma. Ever since her grandma had passed away in sixth grade, she wore it constantly. Jenna has obviously been given a strong dose of Gucci, because she's wearing a leather mini skirt with slits up the sides, and a green off the shoulder top that shows off her flat stomach. She's also wearing gold gladiator sandals and hoop earrings. Her hair is longer, about chin length, and she has these mod bangs cut. Fern, I think, left the house before her parents could see her, because she's wearing this low cut, flowery pink dress that just brushes the mid-thigh mark, and she's put on some white wedge sandals that elongate her legs and give her an extra two inches of height. It has a high waist and she's wearing her long, light brown hair up and off her face, so you can see the glittery stud earrings she's wearing.

God, I really need to get away from DW. She's entering the preteen years, so she's always either reading fashion magazines or talking about fashion. Let's just say that spending the summer home with her has not been good for my development as a male.

Anyway, we were stunned. George and Binky were seriously starting to drool, and I thought they looked pretty hot, but I noticed that Buster and Brain just looked surprised at how different they looked. That's a little weird. I mean, I love Buster like a brother, but he was a major flirt last year, up until he started dating Muffy. Muffy…that's it! I guess it's kind of romantic how he's so loyal to her.

"Hi guys!" Francine says, upbeat as usual

"Duh – Uh, I mean, uh, hi!" Binky said, tripping over his words

"Hi" Fern says shyly. With Fern, she's always been awkward and shy, but this new Fern is shy in a flirty way, so when she tips her head down, she's looking up at you through a fringe of thick, dark eyelashes I never noticed she had before. For a moment, all is silent, until we notice Binky's open and drooling mouth. Brain not-so-subtly lifts Binky's jaw, then puts his hand back in his pocket.

"Hello, my friends!" A throaty but smooth voice says. Everyone starts to look around and Brain has a knowing smile on his face, like he was expecting this. Suddenly, I see this huge flash of light right in the center of our group, next to Jenna. She gives a cry of surprise, because Prunella is standing there wearing skinny jeans, black leather boots, a tight white tank top, plus a silver charm bracelet and a sassy fedora.

Note to Self: Fill up house with new magazines. Fearing overload of girly fashion talk!

Uh, sorry `bout that. Anyway, back to the Limo Stop! Prunella appears in front of us and we're all freaking out, especially Jenna. "You singed my hair!" She says, but she's smiling as she says this, so we know she's not mad. Still, it's not like her to care about her appearance. Soon we're all chatting and waiting for Sue Ellen and Muffy to show up.

"Guys," Brain says nervously, "Prunella and I want to tell you something."

"Let me guess," Buster said, "You two are a couple because you saw each other a lot over the summer."

"Well, yeah, that pretty much sums it up!" Brain says, obviously happy that he doesn't have to explain himself. Prunella gives him a little kiss on the cheek and he blushes.

"Oh, guys!" Prunella says all of a sudden, "Sue Ellen sent me a text before I flashed in. She said to tell you guys that something came up and she'll meet us at the school gate."

We all nod, even though we're a little disappointed. We start remembering major milestones in our lives. Sue Ellen moving away and the scrapbook we made her, our first middle school dance when Mr. Ratburn showed up and didn't recognize us, the eighth grade formal where Francine came wearing jeans and a hockey jersey, and now, our first day of high school.

Then we start talking about the future. Apparently, Jenna's planning on doing photo shoots on the weekends, Binky wants to try out for wrestling, George is interested in basketball, Prunella is trying to set up a Psychic's Club, Brain can't wait for science class, Buster wants to be in home economics so he can learn to cook, Fern is excited for the poetry term in English class, Francine can't decide between volleyball and soccer, and I'm just going to deal as I go along.

A black stretch limo pulls up in front of us. The model has double doors that Bailey opens for us, first blocking the view inside, but then he steps aside, saying, "Your limo is here"

Inside the limo is every teenage guy's dream. A petite girl with long, cherry red hair sits inside, wearing a black miniskirt, a hot pink halter top that exposes her flat stomach all the way up to her rib cage, gold hoop earrings, plus she's wearing red stilettos with three inch heels. Her eyelashes glitter in the sun, her cheekbones are gorgeous, and her lips are a perfect pink pout. She has intelligent blue eyes that regard us with interest. One leg is propped up on the seat so we can see all the curves of her leg, and she is resting her other foot on the floor of the limo. Speaking of the limo, it has a wrap-around bench of plush leather, there's a mini fridge in one corner, a microwave in the other. There's also a surround sound system and a flat screen TV is built into the door! That's when I realize something. The girl sitting in the limo is Muffy!

We're all shocked, and Binky's jaw is down again. Francine is looking a little exasperated, and Buster looks a little concerned. Last year, Muffy relaxed her style and didn't care that much about material possessions. She even stopped saying "vomitrocious!"

I now see what Francine meant last night when she said the Muffy was driving her crazy. All through the limo ride, she goes on and on about how awesome the Caribbean was. Plus, she's flirting with us guys like crazy. You'd think Buster would mind, but he doesn't seem to even notice when she gets all breathy when talking to Binky, or when she scoots forward in her seat, causing her miniskirt to ride up a bit, showing even more leg, which I didn't think was possible.

But other than Muffy, the limo ride is awesome! We had a soda toast to the first day of high school, everyone talked about their summers, and we all wondered about Sue Ellen, how she'd changed. At one point, Francine was getting really sick of having to keep her knees together because of the skirt. She said, "Ah, screw it." And actually started taking off her skirt! I could feel myself turning red, but then I see that she's wearing shorts underneath. Francine stuffs the skirt in her backpack, which is black with ivory designs. The rest of us have backpacks too, except for Muffy, who has a large, white, alligator skin handbag. Francine looks really annoyed at Muffy. Suddenly, a huge smile lights up her face.

"Guys, we're here! We're at high school!"


	2. Not So Subtle

First thing I notice about the high school: It's big. I mean, I thought the Elementary School, which was expanded to include a preschool and middle school, was big, but this high school is just huge! Also, it has a tall, wrought iron gate separating it from the street. There are tons of kids in all sorts of outfits and moods. You can see how cliquey everyone was, and I'm thinking about my friends. Are we a clique? I'll have to think more about it. Anyway, the school is awesome! On one side of the building, I can see a basketball court. On the other, some picnic tables. There are a couple oak trees in the front yard, but no one is climbing them, they're just sitting in the shade underneath, talking. Girls are hugging and squealing like they haven't seen each other for years. Guys are doing chest bumps and sizing each other up. As the limo pulls up, heads turn. People start whispering and pointing. "Who's that?" "Maybe it's someone famous!" "Oh my god, is that a stretch limo?" We haven't even set foot on the school grounds and already we're being gossiped about.

Bailey does the same routine he did at the Limo Stop. As he steps out of the way, Muffy uncrosses her legs, straightens her skirt, and steps gracefully out of the limo. She flips her hair over her shoulder and looks around with a coy smile on her carefully painted lips. She walks straight ahead then turns back to the limo, with an expression that says, "You coming or what?"

Binky jumps out first, all happy and excited. Since he lost weight, his face isn't as doughy, and you can see that he has a strong jaw line. He has girls batting their eyes at him within minutes. Francine gets out with Jenna and Fern and they link arms, walking into the crowd smiling. Buster looks kind of shy as he gets out, wearing his board shorts and an NYC t-shirt. He shoulders his backpack and waits for me and George to get out. George steps out in his favorite denim jacket. With his black hair cut short and a little spiked, he's looking confident as he walks over to Buster. I decide to go out next, wearing blue jeans, a furry bomber jacket, and a white t-shirt underneath. I don't feel like I'm standing out as much as the others, because they seem as though they got makeovers during the next few months, whereas all I've changed is my eyewear. I'm suddenly aware at how everyone is staring at me, and I shuffle over to George and Buster. Prunella and Brain step out together, his arm around her waist, and she walks him over to her tenth grade friends.

Muffy calls, "That will be all, Bailey" and he promptly closes the doors, gets into the driver's seat, and drives away silently. Muffy walks over to Buster, grabs him by the hand, and proceeds to drag him over to some tall, fabulous seniors. We can all tell that her plan is to get super popular, super fast. And starting off the year with a boyfriend is the way to get there. Poor Buster looks super uncomfortable though, and he mouths to me, "Help me!"

I laugh a little, but I'm heading over to him and Muffy. I say, "Hey dude, let's go" and he practically runs away from Muffy and her new "friends."

"Hey, where's Sue Ellen?" George asks us worriedly. "She said she'd meet us here."

Suddenly, our phones start beeping. Across the lawn, we can see the others' phones beeping too. We all look at our phones in unison. It's a text from Sue Ellen. "Hey guys, our car broke down. I'll see you at lunch, Ok?" All right, our reunion with Sue Ellen is being pushed back. Again.

Classes go by pretty quickly, but it gets pretty repetitive. Every teacher's job today is to introduce themselves and give the class rules and expectations. Eventually, it's lunch time. We're meeting in the cafeteria to _finally_ see Sue Ellen.

Prunella and Brain get there early and save us a table, right in the center of the lunch room. Muffy has been dragging Buster around behind her all day, showing off her boyfriend to all the popular seniors. They seem to really like her, especially the guys, who seem more interested in her legs than her boyfriend. Finally, after everyone in our group has sat down at the table, Buster tells Muffy he's going to get a soda from the machine. As he goes up, we notice this girl sitting at a table near the drink machines. She has hair the color of cinnamon that's smooth and curly. She's wearing camouflage skinny jeans, a black tank top, and a scarf embroidered with all these different designs. She's not wearing any makeup, but I still think she's pretty. You can see that the other guys are impressed too. We're all surprised though, when the girl stands up and starts staring at Buster inquisitively. He's not looking at her, but we are. She's short but fit, and only comes up to his shoulder. Muffy stands up, looking like she's about to go all, "Oh no you didn't flirt with my man!" on this girl.

But then Buster turns around and looks at her with amazement. The girl is grinning ear to ear, and Buster is shaking with excitement, making his can of Mountain Dew vibrate in his hand. What's going on?

All of a sudden, the girl throws her arms around his neck, he wraps his arms around her waist, and they have a passionate kiss. The Mountain Dew drops, pops open, and explodes, showering the two with fizzy. Muffy looks shocked, and has these huge bug eyes, jaw dropped. Binky looks like the proud father whose kid just kicked the winning goal. The rest of us are just plain shocked. I'm feeling a mix of emotions right now. I feel happy for him, a little jealous, confused, but most of all, I'm just wondering what the heck is going on.

The two of them finally break apart, smiling, and Buster takes her hand, leading her over to our table.

"Uh guys? This is Sue Ellen"

We're all speechless. I mean, Sue Ellen? She's almost unrecognizable! Gone are the braces and crazy hair, gone with the lack of fashion sense. This new, older Sue Ellen is fashionable, a little shy, and very pretty. Oh, and by the way – She and Buster are boyfriend and girlfriend! Buster explains how, in the past month, Sue Ellen was visiting NYC to help her get back to the USA and they ran into each other. They started hanging out, and after two days, Buster asked her to go on a date with him. Sue Ellen accepted, and they've been together ever since. He's been trying to tell Muffy all day, but they were never alone. And he didn't want to tell the rest of us until he broke up with Muffy. Now I understand why he was so quiet. He told me a bit later, after he broke the news to the others, he had decided to wait and see how Muffy had changed or stayed over the summer. When he found that she had reverted back to her old bratty self, he chose Sue Ellen, because she's "beautiful on the inside and the outside." Buster's words, not mine.

Sue Ellen is still really nice and funny, but we all are feeling a bit shy around her because…well…remember how earlier I was telling you how I remember Sue Ellen? She was really fun and smart. She was also the girl who you always felt comfortable around. Now, she's much prettier, and her style has changed. She's still very quirky, but it's just…different. Plus, she and Buster are together, so we all keep looking at them like some crazy phenomenon is occurring.

But they don't notice. They're a bit wrapped up in each other. Literally, they're always in contact, whether it's hand holding, an arm around the shoulders, or touching knees under the table. Muffy is looking extremely conflicted right now. On one hand, Sue Ellen is her friend and they're seeing each other for the first time in years, but on the other, she just stole her boyfriend!

Meanwhile, George looks very thoughtful. I'm not exactly sure why, because although George has gotten over some of his elementary school shyness, he's still pretty quiet. All of a sudden, he says, "Muffy, will you go on a date with me?"

We all stare at him in shock. Muffy blinks once, twice. She has a funny expression on her face. He looks so hopeful, like the little boy asking for ice cream. She takes a tube of lip gloss from her purse and smears the gel on her lips. Then, she regards him with a cool look. We all flinch, preparing for a cruel rejection. But instead, she shrugs, says, "Ah, what the heck" and kisses him on the lips! George looks ecstatic and barely manages to squeak out that he'll pick her up at eight. Muffy smiles as she walks out the door.

"Way to go man!" Binky said, clapping George on the back. "I've been trying to get a date with Muffy for years!"

"Yeah," I agreed. "I just hope…"

"Hope what?" George asked, eyes widening with worry

"Oh, it's nothing"

"Tell me!"

"Well, it's just…I hope she's not just going out with you to get back at Buster"

George's eyes narrow and he says, "I can't believe you Arthur! For once in my life something good is happening to me and you, one of my oldest friends, can't support me!"

He shoulders his backpack and stalks down the hall.

"George…!" Binky calls, and then turns to me. "You really should apologize to him, Arthur. You really hurt him." He runs after George, hopefully to clear my name.

"Wow" Buster says, "And they say girls get all the drama" The bell rings, and he walks off to his next class, leaving me behind.

Well, school is over. I've decided to skip taking the limo home with the others, seeing as how George keeps giving me the evil eye. I don't think anyone will notice. They've all got super exciting things going on these days. I'm starting to feel like I'm not as exciting as the others. I mean, they've got all these cool things going on – relationships, sports, electives, new experiences – and I'm just the kid who hasn't changed and is boring. I wouldn't be surprised if they're all laughing it up in the limo as we speak, saying, "Oh, Arthur is so boring, Arthur is stupid, Arthur is so dull…!" I kick a rock and it bounces of a sign post right back onto my toe.

"Hey Arthur! Wait up!" Ugh, who's that? Hey, it's…Jenna!

"Uh, hi Jenna."

"Hey," She says, slightly out of breath. "Why weren't you at the Limo Stop? We were worried!"

"We?" I say, my eyebrows raised.

"Well…just me, really."

"You were worried about me?"

"Well, yeah." She says, blushing.

"Uh, thanks" I say. We walk in silence for a while until we reach her street.

"So, uh…" She says awkwardly.

"Can I walk you home?" I say, and she smiles and nods yes. We walk down the block in silence, but this time, it's a bit warmer.


	3. Kiss and Party

Once we reach her house, she invites me in, but I say I have to get home, which is the truth. I'm supposed to babysit Kate and DW today. Since the two of them go to the same school, they walk home together, but I have to unlock the door for them since Mom and Dad don't trust them with house keys. And with good reason! Once, Tim and Tom (a.k.a. the Tibbles) tricked her into betting the keys in a poker game at recess. It took days to convince them to give them back! Finally, I had to threaten to tell their grandma, which shut them up. It always does.

Well, here I am at home. Just warning you, it might be a bit hectic at home. DW (But she likes to be called Dee) is ten, but she got moved up a grade so she's in sixth grade. Kate, who everyone calls Katie, is in first grade. DW is starting middle school today, so she's probably going to be super excited. Meanwhile, Kate is having her first day at real school, so it's hard to say how she's going to be. Here we go…

"Arthur! Arthur! ARTHUR!" DW says as soon as I come within view of the house.

"What is it DW?" I say tiresomely.

"You're late! And don't call me DW!"

"I'm not that late, DW – Excuse me, Dee – and you need to learn to wait. My school isn't as close to home as yours, so I might be home a couple minutes later sometimes."

"But Mom worked it all out! You should be getting home about the same time as us as long as you don't make any detours!"

"Well, maybe it was an important detour."

"Why?" She asks, suddenly interested. DW has a real flair for the dramatic, and a keen nose for gossip.

"It's nothing. Come on, let's go inside." I unlock the door and Katie runs inside. We hear her greeting Pal, our dog, and telling him how much she missed him at school today. I smile, thinking about how Katie is such a sweet girl. She's got this light blonde hair that's really curly like our mom's. Meanwhile, DW and I have straight brown hair like dad's.

"Now what was this detour?" DW asked excitedly. "Come on, tell me!"

"It was nothing!" She looks at me, eyebrows raised, obviously not believing me. "Ok, fine. A lot happened. A lot changed. A lot…"

DW seems to understand that it's serious and sits down on the porch swing. We got a porch installed over the summer and now there's a porch swing that the two of us like to sit on and talk. We used to argue all the time, but now we're much closer. See, I can talk to her about girls and she can talk to me about boys. As she puts it, it's a win-win for everyone.

"So what exactly happened?" She asks as I sit next to her.

"Well, it all started out this morning when Prunella and Brain announced that they're a couple."

"OMG!" DW squeals. "I knew they liked each other, I knew it." Seeing my annoyed expression, she gestures for me to continue.

"Anyway, the craziness continues as Muffy pulls up in the limo looking twenty-one. I'll tell you what she was wearing later." She nods, her fashion hunger satisfied. "At school, she's towing Buster behind her everywhere she goes, shoving the fact that she's rich and has a boyfriend in everyone's face. But at lunch, he starts making out with this girl in the cafeteria, right in front of everyone!" DW's eyes widen in surprise. "And it turns out, that girl is Sue Ellen!" DW's jaw drops. "Yeah, I know. But the surprises continue when George asks Muffy out on a date less than ten minutes later. And even more shocking, she said yes!" DW looks like she thinks I belong in a mental hospital. "Afterwards, when I questioned George about Muffy's reasons for accepting his offer, he got really steamed and he and Binky, who seems to be his new best friend, have been glaring at me all day. Then, after school, I decided to ditch the limo ride and walk home. But Jenna caught up to me and said she had been worried about me. Then I walked her home. Honestly, I don't know if I'm really awake today or if this is all just a dream!"

DW reaches over and pinches my arm.

"Ow!" I say, rubbing my arm.

"Ok, now we know this isn't a dream." She says, smiling. "Gosh, you sure have had a crazy day."

"Well, what's up with you? I mean, it's your first day of middle school, isn't it?"

She smiles excitedly. "Oh my gosh, it was so cool! Everyone looked so different! Emily came back from France today, and she had an actual accent! And the Tibbles look so different! Tim is now short and pudgy, whereas Tom is tall and thin. Plus, he's really cute." She blushes.

"Which one?" I asked. "I thought you hated them."

"Tom! He's really nice to me now, whereas Tim is still really bratty. And my teachers are all really nice! This year, we're not cooped up in one class all day, so it's really cool. And it was just so much fun! And there's a dance this Friday! Think Mom and Dad will let me go?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure they will. Just make sure that you wear a sweater over your dress. You know how dad is when it comes to short skirts."

"Yeah…" She said, grinning a little. Last year, she dug up an old skirt from when she was five and tried to wear it to school. Dad looked like he might blow a gasket when he saw her that morning. She couldn't wear anything with a hemline above the ankles for a month! It was actually pretty funny…but don't tell her I said that.

"Well, I better go make Katie a snack. You know how upset she gets if she doesn't get her chocolate pudding!"

We laugh, and go inside.

After dinner that night, I go up to my room to check my email. I see an email from Fern. I click on it.

To: (Arthur)

From: (Fern)

Subject: OMG IMPORTANT

Hey Arthur, get down to the tree house! There's a huge party going on that you can't miss!

Uh, ok…well, guess I'd better go out. I throw on a sweatshirt, tell my parents I'm going out, and walk out the doorway. Next stop: Party central!

I hear the party before I see it. Some garage band is playing on a make shift stage. Balloons and streamers are hanging from the tree branches. I see Muffy and George, on their date apparently. Buster and Sue Ellen are climbing down from the tree house with silly grins on their faces. Prunella and Brain are hanging out with a group of tenth graders. Fern and Jenna are skipping rocks with some other kids. Binky is with them, talking to his old friends Rattles and Molly. Everyone seems to be here. Everyone but…Francine!

I've barely talked to Francine since this morning, in the limo. We don't have any classes together, and lunch was interrupted by the whole Buster and Sue Ellen surprise. I'd like to talk to her, see how her summer went. Oh there she is, by the drink stand, getting a soda from a guy. I think I'll join her!

"Come on, don't you want a drink?" The guy says with an easy smile

"Yes, I do want a drink." Francine replies icily. What's her problem? The guy seems nice enough. "I want a normal soda, emphasis on normal."

"Only babies drink soda. Have a drink!"

"No!"

The guy, who I can now see looks a bit tipsy, says, "Have it your way babe" and turns to talk to a friend of his. As he does, he spills the plastic cup of liquid he's holding onto Francine's shirt. Brown liquid stains her white tank top, and it starts to look a bit see through. Francine looks mortified as the guy and his friends point and laugh at her. She looks on the verge of tears.

"Hey guys, cut it out." I say, suddenly at Francine's side. How I got there, I don't know. "Come on Francine." I grab her arm and steer her away from the party over to the edge of the woods.

"Thanks Arthur," She says, sniffling. I sniff the air, which has strange scent in it.

"Francine?" I ask cautiously. "Have you been drinking? Because you smell like beer"

She laughs bitterly. "No Arthur, I haven't been drinking. I asked the guy for a soda, and he poured me a cup. But then he put some beer in the drink and told me to take it. That's when you showed up."

"Well, we got to do something about your shirt," I say, eying her tank top. "If you keep it on any longer, you'll go home smelling like beer and every one will be able to see your chest." I blush. I've known Francine forever, but things keep getting more and more awkward as we get older. "Hey, why don't you wear my sweatshirt? That way, your parents won't think you were drinking tonight."

"Good idea!" She says enthusiastically. "Keep an eye out for anyone coming this way, will you?" With that, she goes behind a couple trees and starts to change. I turn away and keep a look out. A minute later she appears wearing my Lakewood Lions sweatshirt, soggy tank top in hand. We go back to the party.

"Hey guys!" Fern says, running up to us, Jenna close behind. "Where have you been? The party is almost over"

A slow song starts to play. Jenna turns to me and says, "Want to dance?" and bats her eyes flirtatiously. Call me crazy, but I think she likes me!

"Uh…" Fern is mouthing _yes_, Francine looks a little ticked off, and Jenna looks really hopeful. "Sure, I'll dance with you, Jenna"

"Yay! Let's go!" Jenna takes my hand and drags me into the throng of dancing teens in the middle of the field. I place my hands on her waist cautiously. She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me close, so I wrap my arms around her. She puts her head on my chest and we sway back and forth like that for a while. When the song is over, she smiles, tells me she'll see me tomorrow, kisses me on the cheek, and walks away with Fern. The two of them immediately start giggling as they meet.

"Well!" Francine says, suddenly at my side. "Looks like you enjoyed that." She says this bitingly.

"I guess so" I say. "I mean…I don't know."

"Ah" Francine says. "So what's the problem? Jenna's pretty, successful, cultured, smart…"

"Yeah, it's just…weird."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Yeah, that would be good. Hey, want to blow the party and go to my house? We could watch a movie or something."

"Ok"

We walk to my house. On the way, I tell her how it seems like everything is changing. She totally agrees with me. She says, "I know right! At school today, I was thinking the exact same thing. It's just craziness, what with Muffy and George, and Buster and Sue Ellen, and Prunella and Brain – I just can't keep up!"

"Yeah…everything's changing"

"Well, some things will always be the same, you know?" Francine says encouragingly "Buster will always love to eat, Sue Ellen will always be cultural, Fern will always be poetic – just because situations change, doesn't mean people do too"

"Ha!" I snort. "Today, I saw Muffy have a complete personality transplant, Buster and Sue Ellen kiss in the cafeteria, Brain say that maybe Tarot cards could have a scientific base, and much more! I'm telling you Francine, things are changing, and people are too."

"Well, it's only the first day of school. I'm sure things will settle down soon."

At my house, we watch an old movie until eleven. Halfway through the movie, Francine calls home. Eventually, we fall asleep. At one am, I'm woken up by my beeping phone.

I groan and say into the speaker, "Uh…hello?"

"Arthur?"

"Yeah? Who is this?"

"It's Fern! You've got to get down to the tree house! It's really important!"

"Fern, it's one in the morning. What could possibly be so important as to drag me out to our old tree house at this time of night?"

"Just come, it's bad" She says, and hangs up

"Francine, wake up!" I say, and shake Francine's shoulder. "Fern wants us to get to the tree house right now. She said something bad is going on"

She's awake in seconds. "Let's go"

As we approach the tree house, I see Muffy running towards us. Her mascara is running down her cheeks from tears. She tries to tell us what's happened, but bursts into tears. Francine hugs her. We walk towards the tree house, Muffy still sniffling. It's pretty dark out here, so when I see Buster hugging a sobbing Sue Ellen, and the rest of the gang just standing there silently, I'm a little confused. Beside me, Francine gasps. Then, I see it.


	4. The Last Nail

I see the splintered wood lying on the ground. I see the torn rope. I see the rusty nails and the heavy hammers and I know what has happened. Our tree house…is gone. Some people at the party must have decided it would be fun to destroy an old, uninhabited tree house. Truth is, we haven't been up there in years, but it was still kind of...sacred in a way to our group. I feel like a chunk of my heart has been ripped out.

As the next couple weeks pass, my friends and I don't seem to be hanging out as much as usual. It might just be my nerves, but something just seems off. Whenever we start to laugh at a joke, it dies after a few seconds. We're all quieter. Even Buster and Sue Ellen seem a bit subdued at lunch time. Thing is, we don't seem sad when we're just in little pairs or anything, no, it's when we're all together, the whole gang, we get that horrible feeling again. We're starting to drift apart.

On Saturday, I get a call from Francine, asking me to meet her where the tree house used to be. I don't want to, but she said it was important, so I'm going.

When I get to the park, I see Muffy in a pair of grungy overalls. Ok, now I know something's up. She's talking to Binky, who's holding a cherry red toolbox. I see the others approaching the field, talking, or looking at blue prints. I think I know what's going on here…

"Arthur!" Francine calls. I walk over. "I – Uh, we – are so glad you could make it!"

"Arthur!" Jenna says, running up to me. Breathless, she asks me to come see what we're working on. Before I can answer, she's grabbed my hand and pulled me off to a small card table covered with papers.

"What is this?" I ask, a smile playing on my lips, for I already know.

"They're blueprints, silly!" Jenna giggles. She points to a label reading, TREE HOUSE 2.

"We're building a new tree house?" I say.

"Yes, and you're the last one to get here, so you better get to work!"

With that, I pick up a hammer and go off to join my friends. We work all day, stopping only when Bailey drops off some dinner from Quickie Chickie. It's fun to see my friends act like they were back in third grade, when our group first formed. Muffy is still acting a little snobby, but she's laughing and not afraid to get a little dirty. Buster is eating up a storm, Francine is wearing her gym clothes, and every one is happy. At one point, around ten, people all starting to nod off. In fact, Francine and I are the only ones awake. The tree house is just about done. Francine left for a couple minutes to go use the bathroom at Domino's, so that must be her I see approaching.

"Hey Arthur" That's not Francine, that's Jenna! She sounds really nervous.

"Hey," I say as she reaches me. "What's up?"

"Well," She starts twirling her hair around one finger anxiously. "There's this 9th grade dance coming up, and I was wondering if you would like to go with me. You know, like a date. I mean, as a date." She sighs. "Arthur, will you be my date to the dance?"

"Uh…" My eyes are big as saucers right now.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"It's a no." There. I said it.

"But I thought you liked me!"

"I do like you, just not like that"

"But-but…" She stammers. "You were giving off so many signals!"

"Like what?" I ask, honestly confused.

"Walking me home! Dancing with me at the party! All that nervousness!"

I sigh. "Jenna, I walked you home to be nice because you're my friend. Ever since you've come back to Elwood City, you've been acting really different. Flirting and asking me to dances and stuff – it confuses a guy! That's why I was so nervous. Don't get me wrong! You're a great girl! It's just that I don't consider you anything more than a friend. I'm sorry." Wow, I didn't know I had that in me. Jenna is quiet for a moment, then says,

"I get it." She smiles, and then turns to gaze at the approaching figure of Francine. "And I'm pretty sure I get that too."

I blush. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Whatever. I'm going to go catch some sleep. I suggest you go talk to Francine a little." She gives me a little wave, and disappears into the night.

Francine walks up to me. We exchange greetings, and then I ask the question I've been meaning to ask for weeks.

"Francine Frensky, will you be my girlfriend?"

She is stunned. Like, jaw dropping, eyes bugging, hammer falling out of your hand stunned.

"Ouch!" I cry, hopping on one foot. A word of advice: Avoid hammers falling on your toes – it really hurts!

"Sorry!" Francine cries. "Aah! Sorry!"

"No, it's ok."

"I'm so sorry!"

"Really, it's ok." Everything's quiet, and we stare at each other in the moonlight. "So, what's your answer?"

"My answer is…" She inches a bit closer. "Yes"

Then, Francine Frensky kisses me, Arthur Read, on the lips. It's my first real kiss, and it's definitely going to always be the best.

The next day, I wake up to the sunrise, a freshly built tree house, and my girlfriend's sleeping head on my shoulder. I just sit there a while, enjoying life as it is, but Francine wakes up, and we go off to join the group. The others look up as we approach, and seem surprised at the sight of us holding hands. They don't say anything, which I'm grateful for.

As Binky hammers in the last nail, I stare up at this new tree house we all built happily, for it brought us all together again. No one says anything, but for some reason, maybe the dewy morning air, maybe the chirping of the birds, when I look around at all of my friends, I don't see teenagers, I see the little kids they were when I first met them, and the little kids they are now, and will always be. Always.


End file.
